New 49ers coach only interested in storied future

— The 49ers are in full Bill Belichick mode in their approach to hosting the Cowboys on Sunday at Candlestick Park.

The Patriots coach reduces opposing teams to nameless, faceless entities devoid of history. The other team is just an indifferent assemblage of players and coaches trying to beat you.

But it’s difficult to ignore the 49ers’ compelling and relevant history with Dallas. The Niners partially launched their glory years by using the Cowboys as a springboard. First, they introduced themselves as a contender in 1981 with a 45-14 regular-season defeat of the Cowboys and then famously edged them in the NFC title game with the Joe Montana-Dwight Clark touchdown pass forever known as “The Catch.”

A win Sunday is unlikely to send the 49ers back to another two decades of unprecedented success, but it could infuse them with the confidence needed to compete for a playoff spot.

Quarterback Alex Smith, adhering to the Belichick Doctrine, sees this game as just a non-divisional contest in a long season.

“You know, this is Week 2, and I don’t think any of us are reading into it that much,” Smith said. “We’re just trying to get a win on Sunday. That’s all the focus is right now, preparing to play and beat the Cowboys.”

Coach Jim Harbaugh parses out the year to 16 individual one-game seasons, with no game more important than another no matter what the shared history with the other team might be.

“The storied rivalry part … I probably spent about 15 seconds thinking about that when you asked me,” Harbaugh said. “There’s so much going on where we are at in this part of the week to get ready to win this ballgame. That’s where we’re at.”

One of the stiffest challenges will be handling Cowboys rush linebacker DeMarcus Ware, a man Harbaugh calls the best pass rusher in the league. Ware can line up anywhere, and the 49ers would probably like to pit him against left tackle Joe Staley, their best pass protector. Ware often lines up opposite the tight end, so expect Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker to saddle up next to right tackle Anthony Davis most often.

The Cowboys’ defensive ends like to occupy the guards, which leaves the tackle alone to fend off Ware. That strategy worked against the Jets, with Ware sacking quarterback Mark Sanchez twice.

On defense, the 49ers will center their attention on embattled quarterback Tony Romo, who was playing a splendid game against a tough Jets defense in the opener before he unraveled at the end with an interception and a fumble. He’s 1-7 in his past eight starts.

“You watch the game against the Jets, he was beating them,” defensive tackle Justin Smith said. “That’s a quality defense with two of the best corners in the league. It came down to just some flukes.”

Both in the opener and the Cowboys’ defeat of the 49ers in 2008, Romo roamed; he got outside the pocket to consistently find receivers.

“We’ve got to pressure him,” Smith said.

Should the 49ers do that and win the game, San Francisco would start the Harbaugh era 2-0 and possibly begin a brighter chapter of 49ers history.